Passive control of ice shedding

Abstract

A plate including a body with an aft face at an aft portion of the body, which is attachable to a leading edge of an ice accretion surface such that the body protrudes substantially in a forward direction from the leading edge, and a forward face opposite the aft face, which extends between opposing surfaces of the body and which is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the forward direction and a predominant flow direction of air flowing past the leading edge.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An engine air inlet, comprising:
 an inner wall; 
 an outer wall terminating in a leading edge, which is coupled to the inner wall to define an inlet space extending in an aft direction from the leading edge; 
 a splitter, having a leading edge, disposed within the inlet space between the inner wall and the outer wall; and 
 at least one plate protruding in a forward direction from one or more of the respective leading edges of the outer wall and the splitter and having a forward face, which is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the aft and forward directions. 
 
     
     
       2. The engine air inlet according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall has substantially lateral and vertical components and the outer wall comprises:
 an upper wall substantially aligned with the splitter and the inner wall lateral component; 
 a sidewall substantially aligned with the inner wall vertical component; and 
 a curved corner section at which the upper wall and the sidewall meet. 
 
     
     
       3. The engine air inlet according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one plate protrudes from the respective leading edges of the outer wall at the upper wall, the sidewall and the corner section and the splitter. 
     
     
       4. The engine air inlet according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one plate protrudes from the leading edge of the sidewall proximate to the curved corner section. 
     
     
       5. The engine air inlet according to  claim 1 , wherein the splitter divides the inlet space to separate an engine air pathway from a cooling air pathway. 
     
     
       6. The engine air inlet according to  claim 1 , wherein the respective leading edges of the outer wall and the splitter have airfoil-shaped cross-sections. 
     
     
       7. The engine air inlet according to  claim 6 , wherein a cross-section of the plate mimics the airfoil-shaped cross-section of the leading edges. 
     
     
       8. The engine air inlet according to  claim 1 , wherein the forward face has one of a rounded leading edge and a sharp leading edge. 
     
     
       9. The engine air inlet according to  claim 1 , further comprising a retention device coupled to an inner duct plate disposed within the inlet space to temporarily hold ice thereto, the retention device comprising one or more of a straight, curved, bent, or looped rod coupled to the plate.